


Undisclosed Desires

by varricscrossbow



Category: Dragon Age - All Media Types, Dragon Age: Inquisition
Genre: Age Difference, Alternate Universe - College/University, Alternate Universe - Modern Setting, Eventual Smut, F/M, Fluff, Modern Thedas, Professor!Solas, Slow Build, Slow Burn, Student Lavellan, Teacher-Student Relationship, Teasing, professor solas
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2018-10-15
Updated: 2019-06-20
Packaged: 2019-08-02 09:32:07
Rating: Mature
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 7
Words: 10,107
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/16302620
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/varricscrossbow/pseuds/varricscrossbow
Summary: A series of interconnected one-shots set in a modern AU where Ellana Lavellan is a college student and Solas, her professor.(I am accepting prompts for this, in case you're interested in contributing!)





	1. Chapter 1

“Thank you so much, Dorian! It would have taken much longer to finish without you!” - Lavellan fell tired on her bed, smiling as Dorian placed the last box on the floor. Moving was always exhausting, but with her friend’s help it hadn’t been so stressful as she imagined. She still had to unbox all of her belongings, but it could be done another time.

“Always a pleasure, my friend. Make yourself at home and if you need anything else, just ask.” - Dorian smiled gallantly and made a sort of a curtsy before walking away and leaving the girl alone in her room.

Lavellan was very lucky that Dorian invited her to move in with him. His apartment was close to the university they both attended, while hers used to be a lot farther. He needed a roommate to share the rent with, but he was also very picky about people. Lavellan needed to move closer to the uni and they had been friends since the very beginning, so it all worked out pretty well.

 

Lavellan was an A+ student. If she put in her mind that she needed to excel at a certain subject, she certainly would, especially if said subject was particularly interesting to her. Since the start of the term, her focus was aimed at one particular subject: not only its content, but mainly the one responsible for teaching it. That would be _Professor Solas_.

Professor Solas was head of the History department at the University of Ferelden, in charge of teaching Elven History, Literature and Fade Studies. He knew so much about everything and he spoke of his interests with such passion that Lavellan found it difficult not to feel hypnotized by the way he talked about pretty much anything. It got to a point where the man could be giving a lecture on elfroot and she would listen just for the sake of hearing his voice. That’s when things got complicated and Lavellan realized she was most definitely screwed.

It started as simple as Solas acknowledging her interest and aptitude on his subjects, she was able to engage in endless discussions with him, no matter what the topic was. He would often call her to his office to compliment her grades, her competence, her thirst for knowledge, which end up leading to more dialogue exchange. Soon enough their talks became gradually less about academic matters and more about personal ones, just little things at first. When she realized the effect he had on her, it was already too late to back off.

Lavellan never missed his classes, she made sure she sat on the front row. Didn’t take long for her to start noticing little things about him: his smell, how good he looked wearing a certain piece of clothing or a specific color, how she liked the sound of his laughter. Sometimes, she would bring him a cup of coffee to his office and the mere brush of his hand on hers made her hold her breath, feeling her heartbeat speeding in her chest. It soon escalated to her wondering how soft his lips were or how warm she would feel on his embrace. Would he welcome her touch or would he push her away? How did he look under all of those clothes?

Her thoughts only became steamier with each passing day and she was starting to feel seriously frustrated. She wondered to herself if she should act on her desires or just try and forget it, but the universe wasn’t exactly cooperating in her favor.

On that particular night, she arrived earlier than she thought and had some time to kill before heading to class. Lavellan decided to go to the library, look for some books she would need to write a paper soon. Browsing through the shelves, it didn’t take long for her to find what she was looking for, the only problem being the fact that it was on the top shelf which made it nearly impossible for her to reach it without help. She was almost giving up and going to ask the librarian to get it for her when something unexpected happened. Suddenly, a strong hand placed on her waist, a tall and warm body pressed against her back, another hand reached for the book she wanted and picked it up for her.

Lavellan turned to look and immediately felt heat rising through all of her being when she saw Professor Solas standing behind her, a light smile on his face. She had never been more aware of her own body before. His hand on her waist, their bodies slightly touching each other, enough for her to feel his warmth even if just for a minute. Maybe if she could grind against him very slightly, almost imperceptibly…

“T-thank you, Professor!” - He handed her the book in question and she hoped that she wasn’t blushing or anything that could give away the state of arousal she found herself in at the moment.

“Don’t mention it!” - So he walked away, too soon for her liking.

Now she was flustered and still had to see him in class. Just great.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hello!
> 
> If you read it, I hope you liked it!  
> I just couldn't take Professor Solas out of my mind, so I just had to write my own thing revolving around this au.  
> It's not a long fic, it's a bunch of short ones but they're all in the same universe. At first it's mostly the development of their relationship, so it'll probably get more smutty eventually and I'll add more tags!!


	2. Chapter 2

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thank you all so much for the kudos and comments!!  
> Hope you enjoy this one too!

When Lavellan left her last class of the day, it was almost 11 pm. As usual, Professor Thetras lost track of time while telling one of his endless tales to the amusement of the class. Ellana was sure he made up half of the content of those stories, but he certainly had a gift for it and the students were always ready to listen to anything he had to tell them, even if it meant being the last class to leave the campus.

She walked lazily through the long corridors, her backpack heavy with books made it difficult for her to walk faster even if she wanted to. At that hour, the building was almost deserted and the fact that everything there was many years old just contributed to making the atmosphere more creepy. Nevertheless, she took a detour on her way out, choosing a path that may or may not lead to Professor Solas’ office.

Lavellan didn’t really expect him to still be working at that very hour and it surprised her greatly when she saw the lights on behind the closed door. It took her a minute or two to figure out what to do with that information, she just wanted a chance to talk to him but did not have a plausible excuse to knock on his door at that hour. If he was working late he would probably be extremely tired, so maybe it wasn’t a good idea to interrupt him. The man probably just wanted a cup of coffee and a massage… Her brain snapped and she smiled at her sudden idea. Unfortunately, she could not give him a massage, as much as she wanted to, but could certainly bring him a cup of coffee. She ran all the way to the next coffee vending machine and bought two decafs, after all she did not want to give him an insomnia episode.

 The corridor was empty and the light was still on when she went back. Lavellan took a deep breath and knocked three times, waiting eagerly for an answer.

“Come in.” - She heard him say, not needing to look at his face to know that the man was beyond exhausted.

Ellana excused herself and opened the door slowly. Solas was sitting behind his desk, a pile of papers in front of him. His perfect posture, affected by his obvious tiredness. However, his face seemed to light up at the sight of Lavellan: a mixture of relief and confusion.

“Miss Lavellan?” - He leaned back on his chair to look properly at her, a light smile on his lips. - “What is it that brings you here at such a late hour?”

“I was just leaving, actually. Then I saw your lights on and thought you might be in need of a cup of coffee…” - She handed him one of the cups, keeping the other for herself. - “It’s decaf, so you’ll still get to sleep all night.”

 Solas eagerly accepted it, taking a large gulp and closing his eyes, tilting his head backward on the chair, feeling the warmth of the drink washing through him.

“Da’len, you are a lifesaver!” - She chuckled, suddenly feeling a rush of warm as well, and hers had nothing to do with the coffee.

 It was a sight to behold that man, just the way he was now. Eyes closed, completely vulnerable. All Ellana could think of was sitting on his lap and make him feel as good as he never felt before. Her lips would find their way through his exposed neck, making sure of marking him as hers for everyone to know. What she wouldn’t do to have his strong hands, those slender fingers roaming through her body right now, touching her in all the right places...

 When Solas looked at her again, the girl was practically eating him with her eyes. He didn’t know what was going through her mind at that moment, but the look on her face and the way she bit her lower lip left little to the imagination. Suddenly, he felt his own face flushing and his breeches getting uncomfortably tighter. He cleared his throat, causing her to snap out of her daydream.

 Lavellan cursed herself mentally, wishing that a black hole would appear and swallow her whole. Of course, she had to be a pervert that let her mind wander to places it shouldn’t and now, by the way Professor Solas looked at her, it was obvious that something she did gave her away. Everything was ruined, he would never look at her the same way again and she would be forced to live with the guilt for the rest of her life. Before she could say anything else to make the situation worse, she excused herself and rushed out of his office.


	3. Chapter 3

Solas was headed to his office when he was greeted with an interesting situation, to say the least. Lavellan stood in front of the nursery, looking frustrated at the warning stating that the nurse was out for lunch.

“I hope the Dread Wolf takes Anders, for real…” - The girl sighed, too annoyed to notice Solas as he approached her. He smiled lightly to himself with amusement, trying to figure out what was going on.

“Is everything alright, Da’len?” - A startled Lavellan turned to look, her distress seemed to fade as Solas placed a gentle hand on her shoulder. She breathed heavily, holding her right hand with her left one, close to her chest. - “Is something wrong with your hand?”

Solas watched as she stumbled on her words, not quite answering any of his questions. Growing worried, he gently caught both of her wrists in his hand, pulling them apart to take a better look. He immediately frowned at the sight of her left hand. Her light skin was covered in dark bruises all around her knuckles.

“Follow me, Da’len.” - He resumed his walk to his office, only now with Ellana Lavellan on his heels. Once inside, he closed the door and gestured for the girl to sit down, which she did. Solas kneeled in front of her, taking her bruised hand in his, now examining it closely.

He handled her with so much care, it didn’t even hurt when he brushed his thumb over her bruises. Solas looked up at her, his face serious with concern. It took him by surprise to be feeling it so deeply, he just wanted to tear apart whoever dared to hurt her. It got to a point where he was trembling all over with anger.

“What happened?” - He asked, gazing deep into her eyes, not giving her the chance to lie, in case she intended to. Lavellan looked away from him, her facial expression just as hard as his. She swallowed a couple of times, trying to soothe the burning sensation in her throat. She didn’t know why, but she didn’t exactly feel comfortable with the idea of crying in front of him.

“I punched a shem in the face…” - She finally said, still not looking at him.

Solas cocked an eyebrow in surprise, not expecting this outcome. A part of him wanted to smile, but he remained serious, waiting for a full explanation.

“Why?”

“I was minding my own business when this guy came to me and called me a knife-ear, said I should go back to my forest and shit.” - She said it all at once, taking a deep breath, finally turning to look at Solas, who remained kneeled in front of her as he watched her intently. - “Seriously, how long will I have to put up with this? How long will this bullshit go on?”

“Unfortunately, Da’len, there will always be those narrow-minded enough to feel the right to insult people based on the shape of their ears, among other features.” - He still held her injured hand in his own. Using his free hand, he reached for her face, picking her chin up and stroking it gently. Lavellan stopped, afraid that if she moved he would pull away and she did not want him to ever stop touching her. - “I pity them, for they will never know how truly remarkable you are.”

Her face grew hot, she didn’t need a mirror to know that her face and ears were tinted red by now. She could not tell if it was because they were so physically close to each other at that moment, but never a compliment made her feel that way. Ellana was used to him telling her she was intelligent and talented, but saying she was remarkable sounded completely different to her. Sometimes she wondered if she was just fooling herself thinking that her feelings for him could ever be reciprocated.

Solas refrained himself hard from tracing her lower lip with his thumb. He longed so much to know if they felt as soft as they looked and yet he knew he could only picture to himself, for he would never be able to act on it. Before his desire got the better of him, he stopped touching her face. He already was being as unprofessional as he should in that situation. He was now holding her injured hand in between his. She watched curiously as he closed his eyes shut and suddenly she felt a tingling sensation, next her hand started glowing blue.

It was over as quickly as it started and when he let go of her hand, she was amazed to see that it was bruiseless. She tested it, flexing her fingers and didn’t feel any sign of pain, it was like she had never been hurt in the first place. She had never seen him perform any kind of magic before, not in front of her at least, it was… breathtaking.

“Creators! This was amazing, thank you so much!” - She looked at him with a smile that lit up her whole face.

“It is nothing, Da’len.” - He smiled lightly back to her, acknowledging her gratefulness. However, his worrying got the best of him and soon enough, he was once again gazing at her with a furrowed brow. - “Nevertheless, I must ask of you to be careful in such situations. The outcome could have been a lot worse than a bruised hand…”

Solas handed her what she noticed to be a card, his name and phone number written in it with a fancy font. Ellana certainly did not expect this.

“If you should ever find yourself in need of help, do not hesitate to call me.”

She gave a shy smile that turned into a wide one once she left his office that afternoon. She didn’t know why would he do that, but the fact that he cared enough to ask her to call him in case of need made her stomach feel funny with butterflies. It was stupid and she could not help but feel like an adolescent experiencing love for the first time, even though she did not know exactly what this meant for him. She was almost certain to assume that Professor Solas _did not_ go around giving students his personal phone number, whatever the reason. So what made her different from everyone else?

* * *

 

“Lethallan!” - Ellana snapped out of it in a startle once she heard Merrill calling her. She had not realized that she was absentmindedly staring at her mobile for quite a while now, when she was supposed to be studying. People all around the library turned their heads to look at them since Merrill wasn’t being exactly silent. - “Are you alright? Do you wanna take a break now?”

Ellana adjusted herself in the chair, pocketing her phone and grinning awkwardly at her friend. She shouldn’t let herself get distracted like that, but at this point she doubted that there was hardly any return from it. Since Professor Solas gave her his number, they’d started texting each other. In the beginning, she’d text him first about something she had seen or read that reminded her of him and they would discuss it for quite a while. It didn’t take long for him to start doing the same and soon they would start to digress. She gladly noticed that he began to display a lot more interest in her well being since the incident where she’d hurt her hand.

         Whenever Solas knew that she would leave late to go home, he would ask her to text him to let him know if she arrived safely. More than one time, he wanted to offer her a ride home and the question almost slipped out of his mouth, but his goddamn conscience always got in the way and saved him from doing something foolish. Little by little, Ellana found herself expecting his texts, which was exactly what she was doing when Merrill called for her attention.

“No, I’m fine, Da’len!” - She looked at the book in front of her trying to remember anything she’d read before, only to find out that she would need to read it all over again. She sighed in despair. Even though she hated Chantry Studies, she needed to get good marks so there was very little she could do besides focusing. - “Gods! This author is so biased it makes me wanna set the book on fire…”

“I could do that for you!” - Merril suggested, speaking lower now. Gods forbid if anyone was to listen to them blaspheming the way they did! Ellana tried to suppress a laughter, with no success. - “When we finish here, you could help me see to the last preparations to the party! They let me do it because everything is done faster using magic! What do you think?”

“Why is there a party if we don’t even know if we’re gonna win the game?” - She furrowed her brow in confusion. Perhaps people just needed a break from everything. Ellana herself knew she needed one. What was the last time she got drunk with her friends and had some careless fun? This party would be a lot more welcome than she thought. - “I’ll go with you, but I doubt I’ll be of any help since I can’t perform any magic…”

“It’s alright Lethallan! At least I won’t be there all alone!”  

They resumed their studies until it started to get on their nerves and Ellana followed Merrill outside to the site of the party, to watch her friend working incredibly fast on what remained to be done. It was already dark when Merril was finished and they both walked home. Ellana still had to think of what to wear to the damn party on the next day. She thought a lot about texting Solas, asking if he would attend the match, even though she knew that it probably wasn’t his kind of entertainment. Also, there would be too many people there and she wouldn’t be able to be as close to him as she’d like to.

 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thanks for everyone who keeps reading this, for the comments and everything!  
> Hope you've enjoyed this one too <3


	4. Chapter 4

Ellana arrived late for the soccer match, since she didn’t care much for those games. She didn’t even know who would be playing, she only knew that their mascot was a mabari. It apparently was an important game and everyone who attended the University of Ferelden seemed to be there to cheer for their team. However, at the moment she had her attention focused on a more important task: sneaking alcoholic drinks inside the building.

At this point someone had probably already done it, but there was never enough alcohol so it wouldn’t hurt to stock up more. Luckily there wouldn’t be anyone from the staff there to frown upon and confiscate their drinks. Everything was going smoothly until then. Ellana and the Iron Bull were bringing the bottles inside through a backdoor that was poorly closed and they managed to break in. The sound of the crowd could be heard even from outside the stadium, it seemed like someone had scored, but they couldn’t tell exactly who.

“By Andraste’s dimpled buttcheeks! What’s all of this for? Are you even old enough to be drinking like this?” - Both Ellana and Bull stopped on their tracks, looking at each other, thinking they were busted when Professor Thetras came out through the same door they were using to get the drinks inside. She chose to remain in silence rather than try and make a poor excuse for it, but after a couple of minutes expecting him to call the principal or something, the only reaction they got from him was a loud burst of laughter. - “Don’t worry, kids. I’m not gonna tell you off, keep doing your thing…” - Bull patted Professor Tethras so hard on the back, she thought the dwarf might sink back to Orzammar for a moment. Relieved to know that they weren’t in trouble, Ellana carried on with their task.

It was all done once the game was over. They were not inside the court, but near enough to hear people cheering louder when it ended. Soon, everyone headed to the party site and Ellana found out by Dorian that their team was victorious, which was more than enough reason for everyone to celebrate. That party would certainly not end until morning.

“Lethallan, I can’t believe you missed the whole game!” - Merrill grabbed Ellana by her shoulders and gazed into her eyes with her huge green ones. She was wearing a varsity jacket that was way too large on her skinny body, it had the picture of the university team’s mabari mascot on the back.

“Merrill, this jacket is not yours…” - She crossed her arms, squinting her eyes in suspicious. Merrill could not hide the smile and instantaneous blush that tinted her cheeks and ears pink.

“Carver let me wear it at the game for good luck! It worked!” - Ellana rolled her eyes, smiling at her friend being a fool in love. - “You should get to know him, he’s not like the other shems, you know?”

This was one of those moments where Ellana would feel too many things at once, some feelings she couldn’t even name. She felt incredibly happy seeing her friends being all lovey-dovey with their love interests, but at the same time couldn’t help but feel a little jealous of how easy it was for them. She managed to have a lot of fun with them and still could not take Solas out of her mind. She wanted an excuse to text him again, but didn’t have one. She didn’t want to need an excuse to text him, she just wanted to know how was he doing: if he was working or if he was relaxing on that night, yet even that was probably inappropriate and she could not risk it. It gradually got harder and harder being near him. Just standing close to him drove her mad.

Maybe it was the need to get rid of these recurring thoughts that led her to drink a bit more than she was used to on that night… Or maybe it was the Iron Bull and his huge amount of knowledge when it came to drinking games.

“Oh, C'mon, Kadan! It’s the rules! She spun the bottle, now she has to drink!” - The Qunari was the only one in the circle who was still sober at that point, besides Dorian who managed to keep himself in check to watch out for his boyfriend.

“You do not have to drink, dear! Sometimes he forgets not everyone can handle the same amount of alcohol as a qunari.” - Said Dorian, side-eyeing Bull, while keeping the bottle away from Ellana.

“Dwarves can!”

“That’s because they’re always UNDER the influence! Got it?  Cause they live UNDERground!” Ellana said and started laughing at her own joke. Bull and some others joining her, finding it really funny. She succeeded in stealing back the bottle from Dorian, who gave it up rather quickly. After a while she started to miss Merrill who said she was going to get something to eat, or go to the bathroom (Ellana wasn’t really sure) and hadn’t come back until then. She excused herself and got up, determined to look for her friend, only to find out she was probably too dizzy to do it.

She tried focusing her sight, looking around, but there was no sign of the other elf. Cursing the Iron Bull and his drinking matches, she managed to carefully walk around the party, but Merrill wasn’t anywhere to be seen. So Ellana ended up walking away from everyone, thinking of looking in the bathrooms inside the building to see if she had some luck. Unfortunately, she didn’t expect her dizziness to get the best of her. She wasn’t so close to the party anymore and the path was much darker ahead of her, since it was Saturday and the campus was almost deserted.

 

Solas got out of his office, locking the door behind him and walking down the dark corridor. All the way he cursed himself for having forgotten those damn papers on his desk, which made him go out in the middle of the night to retrieve them. That was definitely not how he imagined he’d be spending his Saturday night, but then again he had not imagined anything that was about to happen as well. Sometimes the plot twists of life were just weird.

He was crossing the courtyard to where he had parked his car, perhaps a little more distracted than he should be, when someone bumped hard into him. Both fell really hard on the ground, all the books and papers he was carrying were now scattered on the floor around him.

“Gods, I didn’t see you… I’m so sorry!” - He froze in place, watching as the girl in front of him got up clumsily from the floor. She wore a short skirt and therefore, scraped both of her knees when she fell. When their eyes finally met, the air around them seemed to have disappeared. - “Professor Solas?”

“Da’len…” - He said, not quite realizing that he was still sitting on the floor, for nothing else mattered now besides Lavellan. She was certainly someone he did not expect to meet on that night and it was a welcome surprise.

Ellana looked at him worried, with a furrowed brow and started to apologize while picking up everything he had dropped on the fall. Solas got up and immediately stopped her, placing both hands on her shoulder, making her look at him. He studied the girl in front of him with his eyes.

The warmth of his hands on her skin was more than welcome and Ellana had to fight the urge to wrap her arms around him as she wanted. Her current state of intoxication making it even harder for her to refrain herself from touching him in every way she could. It seemed like the alcohol only exacerbated everything she already felt for him on a daily basis, so having him touching her and even breathing so close to her face was pure torture.

“Are you alright, Ellana? Are you hurt?” - Solas asked, looking all over, sighing when he saw her scraped knees.

“Wait! I asked first!” - She smiled widely and Solas raised his brow in puzzlement. - “Serves me right for walking around bumping into people!”

“Da’len, look at me!” - He picked her chin up very delicately, making her look at him. Being this close to her, Solas could smell the faint scent of alcohol on her breath. - “There is no one around, why are you here all alone?”

“I’m so stupid!!” - She looked away from his face, trying unsuccessfully to hide the tears that streamed down her face now. She tried to clean it with the back of her hands, but it only made her cry more. - “Merrill told me she was going to the bathroom but it’s so obvious she’s just gone somewhere to smooch that Carver guy…”

“Did she leave you here by yourself?” - Asked Solas, trying hard not to embrace her tight in his arms.

“No. I was at the party and she was gone for too long, so I came here to look for her. Then I found you!” - Ellana smiled lightly and poked his nose playfully. Solas’ expression softened at this gesture.

He still looked around for a sign of anyone, but the place was deserted and he couldn’t help but worry. Lavellan was obviously intoxicated, if he just left her there and something happened to her… Solas felt his blood boiling inside his veins at just the thought of anything bad happening to this girl. After debating with himself for a while, he decided that the right course of action was to give her a ride home.

“Ellana, I am going to drive you home now. Is that ok?” - Solas asked, looking into her eyes, making sure she understood what he was saying. - “It is unwise for you to be out here by yourself, it might be dangerous.”

Lavellan now looked more tired than anything and she just nodded when he proposed giving her a ride, not thinking much of it. Solas finished picking up his papers from the floor and resumed his walk to his car, now with Ellana walking alongside him.

“You are injured, let me heal you.” - He said to her once they were both inside his vehicle. Lavellan turned around on the seat, putting both her legs on his lap.

Solas had to hold his breath for a moment and remember what he was actually doing. He immediately refrained himself from looking anywhere else that wasn’t her scraped knees that needed medical attention. Not at her thighs, not above her thighs, not at the length of her skirt! Not even when she bit her lower lip and opened her legs a little, he did not look. Ellana laughed mischievously, because she knew exactly what she was doing.

The mage took a minute to concentrate, then closing his eyes and placing his hands on her injuries. Lavellan was startled and whined a little because it hurt, but soon the pain was replaced by that funny tingly sensation when his beautiful hands started glowing blue. It was a soothing sensation and it made her sleepy, like all the exhaustion on her body finally sank in and she felt the weight of it all dragging her to a deep slumber. When Solas removed his hands from her knees, he smiled at his work. There were no more scratches on her skin, it was as smooth as it ever was.

He looked up to find her leaning her head on the seat, sleeping calmly. For a moment he just marveled at how beautiful she looked like this, he’d never seen her looking so peaceful before and he just wanted to keep this image in his memory forever. His chest was full of something that made him desperately want to cup her face in his hands and caress her skin, run his fingers through her hair. He just wanted to watch her sleep, or even sleep with her and find her in the fade. But instead he just took her legs off of his lap, adjusting her in her seat so she was comfortable and put the seatbelt on her, doing the same to himself after. Solas started the car and sighed in distress when he realized the obvious flaw in his plan: he did not ask Lavellan her address,  he had absolutely no idea where she lived and now that she was deep asleep he would not wake her up just to ask.

A solution popped into his head but it was potentially troubling. Since her address was unknown and he wouldn’t just dump her on the street, the most obvious thing to do was taking her to his apartment. It wasn’t the wisest thing to do, what would people think if they saw him taking an unconscious student out of his car and into his own place? He might as well just fire himself from his job or go to the police and ask to get locked up. Solas would never take advantage of any woman in her current state but people didn’t know that, they would just assume he was some disgusting pervert. However, this was the most plausible solution he could think of at the moment. It was already late and he was tired, so he just took the risk and drove home.

 

It was hard to open the door to his apartment while carrying the girl in his arms, bridal style, but he managed to do it. Once inside, he kicked the door behind him and it closed with a thud. Solas immediately carried her to his room, placing her on his bed and covering her with his sheets. She did not wake up once and Solas could not help but stare at her a little more, feeling again that warmth in his chest and his stomach doing a backflip. Gods, was he in trouble! He grabbed his pajamas and a blanket to settle himself on the couch, leaving a glass of water and an aspirin on the nightstand, for the massive hangover she’d most probably wake up with.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hope you're enjoying this! Thank you for the comments and kudos as well :D


	5. Chapter 5

Ellana woke up but could barely open her eyes due to the crushing headache that fell upon her. All of her head ached and throbbed, her eyes hurt all around, her body felt horribly sore. She might as well have been ran over by a truck the night before and she wouldn’t be able to tell the difference. She stretched herself and yawned, immediately noticing that something was wrong when she realized that she was not lying on her own bed. It took a while for her to manage to open her eyes and get used to the light, trying not to feel more pain than she already did. 

The girl looked around, panicking when she did not recognize that bedroom. It wasn’t hers, she had never been in there before and she couldn’t quite remember how did she end up there. She still wore her clothes from the night before, the ones she wore at the party. Oh, right… The party! Some flashes started to come back to her and she tried hard to put them together as best as she could.

First, she remembered the game. She wasn’t at the game, she was with Bull. When the game ended, everyone went to the party, where she mostly stayed with her friends. Dorian was definitely there, the Iron Bull was there… Everyone else’s face was just a big blur to her. They managed to sneak an amazing amount of alcohol inside the party and that fully explained the major hangover she was feeling at the moment. - “And then what…?” - But before she hurt her head even more trying to retrace her own steps, someone opened the door slowly. 

Solas peeked inside the room, smiling lightly when he saw her awake. Lavellan looked at him in awe, trying desperately to wrap her mind around what was actually happening there. He excused himself and walked inside, holding a steamy mug of coffee.

“Sleep well?” - Solas handed her the mug, which she accepted eagerly despite still being confused.

“Professor… I don’t… What happened?” - Ellana sipped the hot drink, trying to calm herself down. He sat on the edge of the bed, next to her and she just couldn’t help but notice how handsome he looked, even if he was just wearing what seemed to be pajamas. This felt somehow very intimate to her.

Solas cleared his throat. - “You passed out on the car and since I did not ask your home address, I brought you to my place.” - An expression of understanding passed through her face, but was immediately replaced by a more confused one.

It took a minute or two for the information to sink in. She was in Sola’s home, in his bedroom. Ellana Lavellan had spend the night in Solas’ bed, lying on his pillows, covered by his sheets! Suddenly, another thought occurred to her, something she had not considered until then. She shifted her look slowly from him to the bed she slept in and then to him once again.

“Did we have sex?” - Solas choked on his own saliva upon hearing such a question coming from her. Ellana felt heat rising to her face, but there was no other way to phrase it, she needed to know. Of course she wanted this even more than she would like to admit, but it would be a shame if it happened and she was too drunk to remember.

“Fenedhis! Da’len, I could never…” - His face and ears burned hot and he stumbled through words, not quite able to put them together to form a sentence. - “You were asleep. I made sure you were comfortable in my bed and settled myself on the couch.”

She gulped her coffee, trying to refrain herself from smiling widely at how adorable he was. She wanted to remind him that she was awake and sober now. How many other chances would she have to be able to make a move on him? They were alone, with no one around to judge them. Part of her just wanted to know if he would reciprocate it if she touched him, but there was also fear of being pushed away.

Ellana held her breath as he sat closer to her, reaching for something on the nightstand. For a moment his face was so close to hers, she could smell his delicious scent. His exposed neck close to her mouth, so inviting. How she wanted to place kisses all over it, to find out where he would be most sensitive to her touch, to lick all the way to his beautiful pointy ear and suck on his earlobe… But before she could complete her line of racy thoughts, Solas sat back by her side.

“Take this, Da’len.” - He placed the aspirin on her hand, smiling. - “It will soothe your headache.”

“Gods, thanks!” - She took it immediately, finishing her coffee. - “Also, thank you for yesterday. You did not have to do any of this for me and yet you did it anyway. I didn’t mean to give you any trouble…”

“It was no trouble at all. I could never leave you there all alone, knowing you could easily get yourself in a dangerous situation.” - Lavellan smiled, looking away from him for a bit. Did he even know how adorable he was? How he made her feel warm inside? The thing was, he probably didn’t and Ellana longed for him to know everything he made her feel. - “Is there anything else you need, Da’len?”

“I do not mean to abuse your hospitality, Professor, but I could really use a hot shower right now…” - She pouted.

“It is no abuse at all!” - Solas smiled and proceeded to open his wardrobe, searching his drawers. He handed her a towel and some of his own clothes for her to change into, a plain white t-shirt and sweatpants. - “These will probably be a bit oversized on you, but hopefully more comfortable than the clothes you slept in.”

“Yes, thank you, Professor!” 

“Ellana, it’s sunday. Please, call me Solas!” 

 

Ellana felt much better after taking a shower. The hot water helped to soothe her soreness and she barely felt the remaining effects of her hangover once she was finished. It was unbelievable. If a week earlier someone had told her that she soon would be taking a shower at Professor Solas’ apartment and wearing his clothes, she would certainly consider the possibility that this person was being affected by blood magic. But then again, there she was. It would probably be a scandal if anyone found out. She knew they probably had already crossed some lines in their professor x student relationship, but given the chance, she would gladly go all the way to the point of no return.

Solas sat on the couch trying to focus his attention on the book he had in hands. A hard task when he was painfully aware that Ellana Lavellan was naked in his apartment. He cursed himself, he should not think of her in such ways, but his mind was stubborn and seemed to have a will of its own. His imagination kept wandering to the young woman in the shower at that exact moment. He took off his reading glasses, rubbing the bridge of his nose and sighing in despair. “This is most inappropriate…” - he thought to himself. - “She is your student! You are old enough to be her father! You are in no place to feel anything that isn’t proper between a teacher and a pupil. This will get you both in trouble…”

“Solas!” - He snapped from his self-scolding and looked up to see Ellana standing awkwardly at the door. The girl wore nothing but his oversized shirt that went down to mid-thigh length, leaving her legs exposed. Solas did not know how to react, in a matter of seconds he forgot everything about how this was wrong and unadvised as he felt his blood starting to flow southward on his body.

She slowly approached him, sitting next to him on the couch and reaching to the book on his lap to take a look at the cover, her hand brushing lightly on his thigh - enough to make him start breathing heavily. Ellana smiled looking at the illustrations and the content of the book, it was a compilation of old elven poems and songs.

“Read something to me, Hahren?” - She smiled, handing him the book back and resting her head on his shoulder. Solas took a deep breath, cleared his throat and opened the book on a random page, starting to read out loud to her.

“ _ Hahren na melana sahlin; emma ir abelas; souver'inan isala hamin; vhenan him dor'felas; in  _ [ _ uthenera _ ](http://dragonage.wikia.com/wiki/Uthenera) _ na revas _ …”

Ellana closed her eyes, smiling as she listened to the elven words coming out of his mouth. She understood lesser than she’d like to, but just to hear his voice made her feel at peace. It was calming and it felt like everything was right in the world. Creators, she could hear him talking for a long, long time! His voice did things to her that she’d never felt before and she loved every moment of it. 

She made him read another one, one more after, and when she promised him that ‘this would be the last one’, she still asked him to read one more. Solas smiled widely, unable to keep his usually more serious expression. It warmed Ellana’s heart to know that they could have so much fun together, even in what seemed to be such a simple situation. She knew it was probably wishful thinking to hope for something more out of this, but it was nice to think about it. He seemed way more relaxed than he usually was at work, he also smiled and laughed more easily. Solas felt it too. It seemed like forever since he had someone that made him feel so good. 

_ She changed everything. _


	6. Chapter 6

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Sorry I took so long to update, this is a continuation of the last chapter.   
> It is based on a prompt sent by user EmberLeo, I hope you enjoy it ^_^

“I’m gonna cook for us, Hahren!” - Ellana said, searching his cabinets and refrigerator for anything that she could turn into a meal for them. Solas leaned against the counter, arms crossed, watching her with interest.

“You know you do not have to do this, Ellana.” 

“I want to! You’ve done a lot of nice things to me these past few weeks, this way at least I can thank you properly!” - She said, looking shyly at her feet. It wasn’t meant to be anything fancy, she just wanted to make something nice for him for a change. However, she wasn’t used to cooking for anyone besides herself, so this would definitely put her cooking skills to the test. Solas smiled lightly, putting his hands up in a surrender gesture.

“At least let me help you, da’len.” - He offered.

“Yes. Chop the bacon, please.”

 

It amazed Lavellan how natural it felt to be with him outside of the academic environment. Anyone who saw them cooking together would assume that it was an everyday thing to them. While waiting for the pasta to cook, she grated cheese and Solas, playfully, kept picking on it to eat. Loving how cute she was when pretending to be annoyed, but unable to hide her smiles from him. He opened a bottle of wine for them to sip while the meal was being prepared, and by the time it was ready Ellana’s cheeks were already pink.

Solas set the table and they were ready to eat. Lavellan cooked pasta a carbonara for them and it smelled delicious when finished. 

“I don’t mean to brag, but I really outdid myself this time…” - Ellana said, tasting her own creation.

“I’m afraid you will have to cook more if you want me to give my opinion on this matter, Da’len.” - Solas sat in front of her on the table, also pleased with the outcome.

Ellana took a large gulp of wine to hide any inappropriate reaction she could have had upon hearing Solas talk. She did not want to assume anything, but she thought she just heard him saying that  _ this _ , as in, the current situation, would happen again. Maybe she understood it wrong, she did not know what to think, really. A part of her wanted to ask, but the other part screamed that she was making a fool of herself. She quickly changed the subject for her own good.

“I really liked that book, you know? I just wish I understood more of elvhen.” - she said between one bite and another. - “It’s certainly embarrassing how little I know, actually.”

“Before I met you I assumed all Dalish to be a lost cause, all of them proud and ignorant. However, you have been proving me wrong ever since the day you first walked into my class. Your eagerness for knowledge continues to entice me, Da’len.” - Solas looked up and held her gaze while he talked, a hint of a smile on his lips. - “I will teach you elvhen.”

“Professor!” - Ellana did not know how to react to this. She wanted to hug him but refrained from it. Besides, what did he mean by saying ‘entice me’? - “I don’t know how to thank you! Should I make a desert?”

Solas snorted. - “No, it is alright, Da’len. I’ll text you the day and the hour soon.”

The girl found it hard to contain her excitement for the rest of the day. She wanted to hold him and never let go, every cell on her body wanted to feel him close to her and by the time they had finished doing the dishes, it became almost unbearable. Ellana knew it was time to go home, digest everything that had happened, put her thoughts in order. If she stayed more, she felt she’d do something wrong.

 

Solas drove her home. On the way there, Lavellan started to worry about the questions Dorian would surely ask. She hadn’t checked her phone while she was at Solas’, but someone must have noticed that she did not go home last night. She would have to make an amazing excuse for her friends. It would mean trouble for Solas if anyone found out she stayed the night at his place, even though nothing happened, and she wanted to avoid this at any cost. 

He parked the car in front of her building and they said their goodbyes.

“Thanks again, Solas, for everything!” - She looked into his eyes, biting her lip nervously. Her stomach doing backflips against her will. 

“It is no problem.” - He assured her one more time, smiling and bowing his head at her.

Ellana smiled at him, looking into his eyes and then looking away. She was breathing heavily, feeling her chest full of something she couldn’t name. She knew what she wanted to do at that moment, but she didn’t feel bold enough to do it. 

Solas too was refraining himself from doing something stupid. Gods, what he wouldn’t give to feel her lips against his. Just the thought of it drove him crazy, but it didn’t change the fact that it wasn’t right. 

“Alright… See you in class, then?” - She said awkwardly, before opening the door and stepping out of the car without looking back.

She entered her apartment very carefully, feeling more relieved when she realized that Dorian wasn’t there. Everything looked the same as she left it the previous day, before leaving for the party, so it meant that he probably went to Bull’s. She sighed in relief, it was one less thing for her to worry about. 

Now she needed to keep herself occupied. She didn’t need to spend the rest of the day thinking about Solas. Like she wasn’t in enough trouble already, now she had  _ private classes  _ with him. It scared and excited her at the same time. He had been sweet in offering to teach her elvhen language, but Ellana didn’t know how much she could handle being near him without pulling him in for a kiss. She liked to think that she had more self-control than that, but that man did  _ things _ to her. If she didn’t take care, Solas would surely be the death of her. 


	7. Chapter 7

Ellana had been anxious since the minute Solas left her at her door on Sunday. Every time her phone buzzed with a new message she felt her chest filling with hopes, only to find out it was all for nothing, for it wasn’t Solas’ who was texting her. More than one time she had to stop herself from texting him herself to ask him which day they would start their private classes. Yes, she knew he said that he would text her himself, but days went by without a word from him. It was weird to see him around the uni again and have to act like she didn’t sleep in his bed or cook him lunch just a few days ago.

It was Wednesday night when Ellana received the message from her Hahren.  _ Tomorrow, at 19 pm,  _ he confirmed and absolutely nothing could tear the smile from Ellana’s face from this moment on.

If the classes from the next day had gone by any slower, the time would stop. When the bell that indicated the end of the last class rang, she was the first to walk out of the door. There was still time to grab something to eat at the cafe before meeting Solas in his office.  Once inside the cafe, she got her order and sat with her friends who were already there.

M errill and Krem were leaning over the table, laughing so loud that people all around the place were actually turning their heads to look at them.

“Perhaps you guys could be louder, I don’t think people in Orlais have heard you yet.” - She furrowed her brow, placing her tray on the table. Krem was breathless and had actual tears streaming down his cheeks from laughing so much. - “What’s so funny anyway?”

“Oh, Lethallan, you won’t believe this…” - Said Merrill, her big green eyes gazing at Ellana.

“We found a copy of Professor Thetras’ new book, Swords and Shields!” - Krem held the book in front of her face so there was no way she couldn’t see it. “You won’t believe how priceless this is!”

“There are some steamy chapters in it!” - Both of her friends started to laugh again.

“Sometimes I cannot believe you two...” - Ellana shook her head, looking at her phone to check the hour.

“Oh, c’mon, it’s just harmless fun. Wanna take a look?” - He was about to hand her the book when she got up, finishing her coffee in a large gulp and preparing to leave.

“Sorry, I can’t be late!”

“Late for what? I thought you were supposed to leave early today… Oh, by the Dread Wolf! Don’t tell me there is something I forgot? I need to start writing things down, I keep forgetting.” - Merrill started to ramble really fast, more to herself than to the others. Ellana was already used to it by now.

“No, don’t worry, lethallan! I just need something from the library before it closes, I desperately need to finish my essay about the 1st Blight!” - She smiled lightly, pretending she wasn’t feeling guilty about lying to Merrill. It was all for a greater cause, though. 

Krem, however, wasn’t as easy to fool.

“With a skirt that short one would think you are going out on a date or something…” - He said, squinting his eyes suspiciously.

“Oooooh, is it true, Lethallan? Who is it?” - Merril smiled widely, staring at Ellana.

“No one! You should stop reading these books, it’s messing with your heads.” - She said, putting a stop to their nosiness. Krem did not seem satisfied with her answer but did not ask anymore.

Ellana left the cafe, walking faster once she found herself in the corridor that led to Professor Solas’ office, her stomach full of butterflies in anticipation. She approached the door, seeing the lights on at the other side and took some deep breaths before knocking. Instead of telling her to come in like he usually did, this time he got up and opened the door himself. Once she laid eyes on him for the first time, she started to worry that she wouldn’t be able to focus on the actual lesson. Solas wore a social shirt, with rolled up sleeves, the first three buttons were undone, enough for her to see his bare chest, it was obscene. It was getting harder and harder to keep her mind from fantasizing about him. 

Before even greeting him, she was already thinking about unbuttoning the rest of his shirt with her teeth.

“ _ Creators! Why do you punish me with this elvhen god that I can’t touch?” _ , she thought in frustration.

“Come in, Da’len, I was expecting you.” - He said, gesturing for her to enter the room. 

Ellana smiled nervously to him, walking into the room and taking a look around. She loved everything in his office: his paintings hanging on the walls, the comfortable chairs, all sorts of cool books and it always smelled of coffee and well... Him. He sits down behind his desk, organizing his papers on a pile and closing his notebook with a heavy sigh. Lavellan sits in front of him, frowning. He always seemed to be working nonstop, how was that even possible?

“What are you working on, Professor?” -  She asked, genuinely curious. Solas’ face immediately lights up at the chance to talk about his projects.

“I’m writing a speech on Elvhenan and the aspects of the elven society back then, it’s a project I’m working along with Professor Abelas.” - He explained. Even though Ellana hadn't met Professor Abelas yet, but she knew that he was supposed to be as good as Solas when it came to Elvhen history.

“Oh, that should be good!” - She smiles in excitement.

“If all students were as enthusiastic as you…” - He lowers his gaze, smiling lightly, suddenly remembering why she was there. - “Shall we start, then? Come, sit next to me so I can show you all the material I prepared for your lessons! I found some books I think you will find most enjoyable!”

Ellana put a chair next to him, not being able to hide her reaction upon seeing how adorable he was when talking about something he was really passionate about. He managed to put together books and articles, even papers he wrote himself and he had been through all of this work just for her! She wished that everyone would cherish his lectures and the work he put into them. 

He really enjoyed what he was doing and she knew that not many people recognized his efforts, she had an idea that it shouldn’t be easy to be an elven professor, teaching elven history inside an institution that was run by the human Chantry. Solas was proud and stubborn, so he would never bias his lectures in favor of the humans, it would be dishonest to the memory of his people. She had a great deal of respect for him for putting himself in this position, despite how hard it could be.

She wasn’t completely ignorant when it came to the elven language, she knew some of it from the time she spent growing up amongst her clan, but most of it had been lost to the Tevinter Imperium by the time they enslaved her people and later, to the Exalted Marches of the Chantry. Dalish Keepers held onto what little they could throughout the years, but not enough. If there were clans who could speak more than the basics, she wasn’t aware of. Solas, however, knew a lot more than anyone she had met before. More than one time she saw him making translations from ancient elven to the common tongue seem like the easiest thing. 

Remembering how much she enjoyed the book about old elven songs and poems back at his house, Solas decided to take a similar approach on their first class. He brought to her a children’s book about elven legends so that they could read it together, while he explained the words she had trouble understanding. Ellana could not contain her happiness. She knew most of the stories in the book from Keeper Deshanna who used to tell her when she was a little. Yet, it was a completely different experience to hear them from Solas, since his insights on elven lore always differed from those of other elven people she knew.

 

Time went by a lot faster than she expected and at one point she realized that they had been discussing the tales for almost 2 hours now. She wasn't surprised when Solas tilted his head back on the chair and yawned.  Ellana leaned her head on her hand, studying him with her eyes.  - “Maybe we can continue this another day, Hahren? You’re exhausted and probably need to rest.”

Solas cocked his eyebrows in surprise. “Do I look so old and tired already, Da’len?”

“No!! This is not what I meant!” -  She stumbled on her word for a bit, trying to rephrase it. - “All you seem to do is work, do you ever take a break? What do you do when you’re not teaching, or grading papers, or writing lectures?”

“I take great pleasure in what I do for work, Da’len, otherwise I wouldn’t do it.” - He smiled at her, reassuringly. - “But I do enjoy painting and reading if that’s what you want to know.”

“Yes, Hahren, don’t overwork yourself! People need to relax once in a while…” - She tilted her head, smiling.

“Ma serannas, Da’len. You are, once again, right.” - Solas bowed his head to her, in appreciation. It has been a long time since anyone showed any concern for him the way she did. In fact, he couldn’t even remember the last time it happened. It felt nice, even though the red light inside his head wouldn’t stop blinking, signaling that he was heading for trouble. - “Same time, next week?”

“Sure! Thank you, Professor, have a good night!” 

 

Ellana was head over heels when she left his office that night. It felt so natural to just be with him, to talk about everything, to exchange stories. Still, she couldn't help going over all the 'could've beens' and 'should've dones' whenever she was with him. It was maddening.

She wished she was older, bolder and not a student so it wouldn’t feel so wrong to want him as much as she did.  


End file.
